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A medical emergency is declared for an ill passenger with heart pains at FL200 in descent 110 NM northwest of atl, GA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 563594 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : atl.vortac |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 20000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 563594 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness cabin event other non adherence : far other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other other : cab 5 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
During descent to atl, my lead flight attendant called the cockpit to advise me that an elderly (90 yr old) passenger was pale and not feeling well and that she was going to administer oxygen. We discussed our options and decided to ask for any doctor on board to assist us. A doctor came forward and while he was examining the passenger, he began to experience chest pains. We were descending through FL200 on the arrival when the flight attendant told us about the chest pains and that they were going to get out the defibrillator. I immediately declared an emergency with ZTL and asked for priority assistance. I turned the radios and aircraft over to the first officer and I began coordinating with flight control and set up medical assistance for our arrival. ZTL and approach did an excellent job getting us into the airport immediately. The doctor on board determined that it would be safe to take the passenger to a gate and have the paramedics ready there, so I advised atl of our intentions. I had the first officer fly at our maximum speed to about 15 NM from the airport. We slowed, configured, and made an uneventful lng. We were able to get to the gate in about 2-3 mins and our passenger was assisted there. This emergency demonstrated excellent coordination between the cockpit and cabin crew and ATC and the flight crew. All of the training really pays off under these time compressed and stressful sits.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MEDICAL EMER IS DECLARED FOR AN ILL PAX WITH HEART PAINS AT FL200 IN DSCNT 110 NM NW OF ATL, GA.
Narrative: DURING DSCNT TO ATL, MY LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE ME THAT AN ELDERLY (90 YR OLD) PAX WAS PALE AND NOT FEELING WELL AND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO ADMINISTER OXYGEN. WE DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS AND DECIDED TO ASK FOR ANY DOCTOR ON BOARD TO ASSIST US. A DOCTOR CAME FORWARD AND WHILE HE WAS EXAMINING THE PAX, HE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE CHEST PAINS. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH FL200 ON THE ARR WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD US ABOUT THE CHEST PAINS AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GET OUT THE DEFIBRILLATOR. I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZTL AND ASKED FOR PRIORITY ASSISTANCE. I TURNED THE RADIOS AND ACFT OVER TO THE FO AND I BEGAN COORDINATING WITH FLT CTL AND SET UP MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR OUR ARR. ZTL AND APCH DID AN EXCELLENT JOB GETTING US INTO THE ARPT IMMEDIATELY. THE DOCTOR ON BOARD DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO TAKE THE PAX TO A GATE AND HAVE THE PARAMEDICS READY THERE, SO I ADVISED ATL OF OUR INTENTIONS. I HAD THE FO FLY AT OUR MAX SPD TO ABOUT 15 NM FROM THE ARPT. WE SLOWED, CONFIGURED, AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNG. WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE GATE IN ABOUT 2-3 MINS AND OUR PAX WAS ASSISTED THERE. THIS EMER DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENT COORD BTWN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN CREW AND ATC AND THE FLC. ALL OF THE TRAINING REALLY PAYS OFF UNDER THESE TIME COMPRESSED AND STRESSFUL SITS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.